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The Aviation Bug

Capt. Mike Marblestone 6 Episodes Sep 23, 2026

The Aviation Bug is a podcast hosted by Capt. Mike Marblestone, who talks with astronauts, fighter pilots, airline captains, corporate pilots, and other people whose lives have been shaped by aviation. Beyond pilots, he also speaks with actors, athletes, CEOs, and innovators who share a passion for flight. The show explores what draws people to the sky and what it is like to live and work in aviation. It is aimed at anyone who has ever looked up and felt the pull of flight.

Episodes

N007AB- Jack Kennedy (747 TWA Captain) Sep 23, 2026 01:46:40 Captain Jack Kennedy was born in a small town in Illinois, where his father passed down to him a love of flying that would shape the course of his life.In 1964, at just 22 years old, Jack became an airline pilot for Trans World Airlines, beginning his career flying the legendary Lockheed Constellation. A mere five years later, he was a Boeing 707 captain for TWA, flying routes around the world dur

N006AB- Brett Tillman (Chief Pilot of Major Airline) Sep 8, 2026 02:22:45 Raised in an aviation family, Captain Brett Tillman has spent a lifetime immersed in the world of flying.He began his career as a flight instructor before moving on to the regional airlines. In the late 1990s, he was hired by a major U.S. airline, beginning a career that would eventually place him in some of the most influential leadership positions in commercial aviation.Over the years, Brett has

N005AB- Drew Irmischer (B2-Bomber) *Flying Dorito Aug 19, 2026 01:30:46 Drew Irmischer did what most pilots on the planet won’t get a chance to do and that’s fly the B2 stealth bomber.Prior to that he flew the B1 B bomberHe was one of the first to drop weapons on the mountains of Afghanistan, post 9/11 terror attack in America.This is an insight into a B2‘s lifestyle as well as the intricacies of the B2.How does a guy who received an engineering degree end up in the A

N004AB- Jimmy Hayes (CEO and Aviator) Aug 4, 2026 02:23:08 What does it take to lead one of America’s largest private companies while maintaining a lifelong passion for aviation? Jimmy Hayes has spent much of his life answering that question.A graduate of the University of Georgia with a background in business and finance, Jimmy rose through the corporate world to become CEO of Cox Enterprises, one of the nation’s most recognized private companies.Althoug

N003AB- Patrick Williams "ManBear" (F-22 Raptor) Jul 19, 2026 03:17:17 What is it really like to fly the world’s most dominant air superiority fighter?Patrick “ManBear” Williams is one of the few pilots who can answer that question from firsthand experience.Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Patrick’s aviation journey began in a taildragger aircraft. That early passion for flying never left him, and he still owns and flies a taildragger today.His career eventu

N002AB- Alex "Lovey" Howell (Top Gun) Jul 6, 2026 02:20:49 Alex “Lovey” Howell is a former U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot, Top Gun graduate, airline captain, entrepreneur, and lifelong aviator whose passion for flying began almost before he could walk. Growing up in France, Italy, Africa, and the United States, Alex developed a global perspective and learned multiple languages while being immersed in diverse cultures around the world.Aviation has been part

N001AB - Warren Smith (My Flight Instructor) Jun 20, 2026 02:54:23 From crop dusters to corporate jets, charter adventures to the FAA, Warren Smith has experienced nearly every corner of the aviation industry.Growing up in Illinois, Warren’s first exposure to aviation came through agricultural flying. He eventually became an agricultural pilot and flight instructor, helping train future aviators—including The Aviation Bug host in 1985, making this conversation a

The Aviation Bug

Episodes

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